Manufacture of selenium oxychlorid



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Zelchrawinu. Application filed $.55,

To all whom it may con-corn:

lle it known that l, Vio'rou LENHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at hiladisou, in the county of Dane and State 5 of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Manufacture of Selenium Unychloi'id, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to the manufacture of selenium oxychlorid (Se Ugh); and the primary object is to pro vide a simple method of manufactuiing said compound.

The resent invention is in the nature of modi cation of the process of manufacture disclosed in my application No. 381,628liled on even date herewith.

l have discovered a practicable method of manufacturing selenium oxychlorid on a commercial scale, and have demonstrated that compound possesses remarkable qualities as a solvent; and may be put to many useful purposes, including its use as a solvent for many substances or compounds for which no solvent has hitherto been known, r

The product may also be employed in the practice of various novel processes, as in ellecting the separation of materials, form, ing novel compounds, and "forming old com" pounds by novel methods. According to the present invention, selenium oxychlorid is formed by conihinii'ig Water and selenium lllfilltl ElcCl oi the constituents of n i'eti'acl'iloi'id, such as selenium and n. The compound may he formed in accordance with'the following equation:

w siletll +ll ilzdcOCl +slifll el-e jlzSeflh ElcCl, +2Hfit: $28 lHGl so As an example of a practicable method of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 28, 1921. serial. he. senses.

a sui'licient quantity of water to satisfy the second equation given above, i. 0., equi-moleculanproportions of SeCl, and WZtlJBT, thus producing selenium oxychlorid and hydrochloric acid; and then drive oil the hydrochloric acid by heat, leaving the selenium oxychlotid as a liquid. The selenium oxychlorid may be distilled and, collected by means of a condenser, for purification purposes leaving as a residuum any impurities which may be associated with the selenium.

if desired, moderate heat may be appliedto expedite the reaction.

it may be stated that as the selenium monochlorid is formed, it acts as a solvent for the selenium, while the original solvent, such as carhon tetrachlorid, acts as a solvent for the selenium inonochlorid and as a solvent for the product selenium oxychlorid; also, selenium oxychlorid acts as a solvent for selenium tctrachlorid. Thus, the reaction is carried on in the presence of selenium oxychlorid as it is formed, this product se'rv ing as a solvent for selenium tetrachlorid. The original solvent employed, such as car'- bon tetrachlorid, serves to hold the selenium in suspension. If desired, stirring apparatus may be arranged for insuring the proper suspension of the selenium, or the bubbling action of chlorin gas may be depended upon to secure this result. The originalsolvent employed in the process may he separated from the selenium oxychlorid by evaporation and recovered for future use. If heat is employed during the reaction, it should be of a lower degree than that necessary to evaporate the original solvent or to vaporize the selenium tetrachlorid.

lVater may be added either at the outset or it may be added after the selenium has been converted into selenium tetrachlorid, in which case the selenium tetrachlorid' is mainly held in" suspension in the carbon tetrachlorid, although a small amount of the selenium tetrachlorid may be in solution. It the water he added after the selenium tetrachlorid has been formed, the reaction may proceed in accordance with the following equations:

The hydrochloric acid formed in accord ence with the first one of the two equations be employed in performing the reaction indice-ted by theilast equation as a means for holding the sql enium tetrachlorid in suspension whi'le."it is being chemicall combined with the selenium dioxid SBQ The carbon tetrachlorid may then be evaporated and the selenium oxychlorid will remain as a liquid. This may be'distilled for purification purposes and condensed, leavinghehind as a residue any impurities associated with the selenium. The reaction in 'accordance with the last equation produces the selenium oxychlorid in the bath and the product acts as a solvent for'the selenium tetrachlorid and the selenium dioxid, thus facilitating. the reaction. 1 The product p is itself dissolved by the carbon tetrachlorid, and the separation may he efiected iin the manner stated. r V

Crude selenium may be employed in the process; or, if desired, com ounds of selenium, such as iron selenid Fess) or copper selenid (:(luSe) may be employed.

' For, example, Fe'be may be suspended in carbcn t'ctrschlorid and chlorin gas passed therethrough, producing Sepfll and FeGl The Sefih, that is, selenium or FeCl monochlorid, may be converted into selenium tetrachlorid by continuing the chlorination process; and the necessary proportion- 0t water may be added to effect the conversion to selenium ozrychlorid Separation of the materials may be effected in any suitable manner, it being understood that the FeCl or FeCl wlll-rcmein as a residue.

many. substances, includingcertain substances or compounds for which no lmow-n solvent exists." Thus, selenium oxychlorid is a solvent for phenolic condensation profd nets in the infusible andso-calledinsoluble state; is a solvent for japsln; isa solvent for.

rubber, pure or vulcanized; is' a solvent' for certain metals; is a solvent for certain oxide, "etc thus making new separations possible. The use of selenium oxychlorid in the arts is unknown; because :of its remarkable qualities .it willbe understood that the-dis covery. of practicablefmethods for its manufactiire is of grcat importance. {The manufapture should be practised in a vessel composed of a substancewhich will.

not be attackcdor dissolved by the product. "Porcelain, terra cotta, or glass may be em played. If desired, a glass-lined still may be employed, and this may be fitted with stirring apparatus, if desired. lhe still should be equipped with suitable eduction pipes andyslves to enable the original solvengfwliereemployed tc he driven oil, and

a ford selenium oxychlorid, the reaction being Selenium oxyehlorid is a-solvent for very weasel been given for clearncss of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations shouldbe understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly permissible. V p 1 What I regard as new, and desire to secure pg Letters Patent, isi I p 1. he process of producing selenium oxychlorid which comprises chemicall 8O combining water and selenium tetrachlori or its constituents, the substances being taken substantially in proportions corresponding with equi-molecular parts of SeCl, and H 0, the hydrochloric acid formed being eliminated in the .process.-

2. The process of producing selenium oxychlorid which comprises chemically combining water and selenium tetrachlorid to form selenium oxychlg rid as a liquid, the constituentsv being taken substantially in equi-moleculer proportions. T

The process of producing selenium oxychlorid which compriseschemicaHy combining water and selenium tetra-chlorid, or its constituents, in the presence of asolvent for selenium oxychlorid which serves to hold the selenium tetrachlorid in suspension during the reaction which forms the selenium ,carried on in the presence of a substance which serves as a solvent both for chlorin 1 *and selenium oxychlorid. r 5. The process of producing selenium oxy- 'chlorid which comprises chemically combin ing water and ingredients 'comprisin selenium and chlorin', 'in proportions to a. ford selenium oxychlorid, the reaction be- 'ing carried on inthe presenceof a solvent :for both chlorin and selenium oxychlorid 11 and in the presence of selenium cxychlor'id as all uid.

6. T e process of producing selenium oxy- -chlorid which comprises a reaction between water and a compound of selenium in thef presence of" a solvent for selenium oxychlorid. l 7, The recess of producing selenium oxy- .chlorid which comprises causingra reaction 1 between water and ingredients comprising selenium and chlorin in a bath comprising a sclventirchlorin and selenium oxy-. chlorid. v

,8. The process offorming selenium oxyghlorid which comprises: chemically combilling waizar ami seia'nium fiaivmchierid; eiiminaing the hydmchioric, aciu formed in such reaction; indi, than chemica-iiy combining seienium ixatrachiorid and Elm selenium dioxid pmduced in *lzhe first reaction to form @ienium wxychiorid as a. iiquici.

9, The process of producingsaaienium 03y chim'id which comprises forming selenium zetrachlorid in a. sei'vantfor both chlorin and selenium oxyciilfirid am? combining with the suspandec'i sek'ahium tetrachiorid Water in sufficient quantity to convert; the same into selenium ()XYGhiGTid, the selenium 0x ychiorid being dissolved. in gait solvent; and swarming mm the seienium oxychiorid the hydrochluric acid farmed and the advent; empioye i.

10. The pmcess of producing selenium oxychlorid which cnmprises forming Salem ium tetrachierid in a, solvent for both chici'in and selenium axychimid and combining with the suspended selenium tetrachlorid water in. sufficient quantity to convert the same into selenium miychiorid, the selenium exyc'hlorid being dissolved in said solvent,

evaporating said solvent; and distilling the sele-nimn oxychlorid for purposes of urification;

VICTOR LENHER 

